evolve

verb

i-ˈvälv How to pronounce evolve (audio)
-ˈvȯlv,
ē-,
 also  -ˈväv,
 or  -ˈvȯv
evolved; evolving

transitive verb

1
: emit
2
a
b
: to produce by natural evolutionary processes
c
: develop, work out
evolve social, political, and literary philosophiesL. W. Doob

intransitive verb

: to undergo evolutionary change
evolvable
i-ˈväl-və-bəl How to pronounce evolve (audio)
-ˈvȯl-
ē-
 also  -ˈvä-və-
 or  -ˈvȯ-və-
adjective
evolvement
i-ˈvälv-mənt How to pronounce evolve (audio)
-ˈvȯlv-
ē-
 also  -ˈväv-
 or  -ˈvȯv-
noun

Examples of evolve in a Sentence

Her company has evolved from a hobby into a thriving business. Some flowers have evolved remarkable means of insect pollination.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Conclusion With engineering breakthroughs and evolving automotive and aviation standards, flying cars are no longer a distant sci-fi fantasy. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025 Max Verstappen set the early time to beat on hard tyres before Hamilton briefly went quickest as the track started to evolve and rubber started getting put down by the cars. Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Even more detailed views came courtesy of astrophotographer Dan Bartlett, who imaged the comet over multiple nights to reveal how the complex structure of its ever-shifting tail evolved over time from his backyard in June Lake, California, over recent weeks. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025 A number of Indigenous alumni quoted in the book say their next goal is to host a campus powwow, a colorful festival filled with Native drummers, traditional dancing, crafts, frybread, meat pies and Native games like stickball, which evolved into lacrosse. Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for evolve

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin ēvolvere "to roll out or away, unwind, unroll, narrate (a series of events)," from ē-, variant of ex- ex- entry 1 before voiced consonants + volvere "to set in a circular course, cause to roll, bring round" — more at wallow entry 1

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of evolve was in 1772

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evolve. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

evolve

verb
i-ˈvälv How to pronounce evolve (audio)
-ˈvȯlv
evolved; evolving
1
: to develop or work out from something else
evolved a new plan
evolved a safer design from the old one
2
: to produce by a process of evolution
3
: to change by a process of evolution
evolvable adjective

Medical Definition

evolve

verb
evolved; evolving

transitive verb

: to produce by natural evolutionary processes

intransitive verb

: to develop by or as if by evolution : undergo evolutionary change
an evolving theory of mental functioningS. A. Green

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